Support Services

The Authority’s Risk Managers have primary responsibility for the relationship between the member entity and the Authority. These responsibilities broadly include training, risk management, claims, and finance. Related activities involve developing member training plans, consulting on complex issues of risk, facilitating contract analysis, managing the member’s action plan, identifying concerns related to those outlined in the Authority’s healthy member protocol, serving as a claims information conduit to and from the member, making presentations before management and elected bodies, assessing and managing critical member issues, presenting and explaining member cost allocation information, and generally promoting the Authority’s risk management LossCAP business model.

In addition, the Authority’s Risk Managers coordinate and manage various risk management services, as follows:

Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Services

Members whose claim frequency and severity comprise the top 10% of all slip-and-trip claims participate in a funded pilot program. Under this program, sidewalk cutting occurs in areas where the general public uses the sidewalks with greater volume, such as downtown areas, senior centers, agency service access points, schools, and medical facilities. Also, a master services pricing agreement has been created that allows any member the ability to undertake sidewalk inspection and repair services utilizing the preferred pricing.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Assistance

The Authority is funding compliance assistance services, including inspection of member facilities and public rights-of-way; development of transition and barrier removal plans; review of policies, procedures and practices; and use of accessibility management software. Since some members may be unable to fund necessary improvements because of continuing budgetary constraints, the Authority is making capital improvement matching funds available in order to help incentivize members to undertake these needed actions.

Risk Technician Services

The Authority assists members through assignment of a risk technician to help with more detailed risk management work at the member agency. This can include the development of policies and procedures where the Authority does not have a policy template, implementing policies and procedures, conducting inspections, providing subject matter expertise, attending safety meetings, including serving as meeting facilitator and safety expert, and conducting OSHA hazard assessments, including occupational exposures and equipment operation.

Employment Intervention

Members often face difficult and complex employment decisions when working through disciplinary and termination actions. The Authority’s employment intervention program allows peer review of the facts and circumstances, and can help guide the member in positioning itself in instances where litigation is likely. The program is not designed to supplant the member’s employment attorney, but is, instead, designed to work in concert with concurrent legal efforts.

Root Cause Analysis

The root cause program is designed to identify the underlying cause of a claim. The root cause is different than the proximate cause, with the former being the system or control that failed, which was otherwise designed to stop the claim from occurring. Knowing this information can be helpful in educating the member and helping to identify operational or other needed changes. The findings help the Authority deliver member-specific training, risk management, and organizational support that help prevent recurrence.